Clamping device for gaskets and the like.



C.FORTH.

GLAMPING DEVICE FOR GASKETS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATIdN FILED NOV. 24, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

mum" II:

i 10 All a a/ CHARLES FORTH, 01* B'OSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLAMPING DEVICE FOR GASKETS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An". 13, 1912.

Application filed November 24. 1911. Serial No. 662,085.

and useful Improvements in Cltlllllilnfl Devices tor Gaskets and theLike, of which the following is a specification, reference being I hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a clamping device for securing gaskets and thelike removahly in place. and the invention designed with specialreference to its application in connection with pipe couplings in whichthe parts or heads to be coupled togcthcr are provided with portssurrounded by gaskets which, when the heads are coupled face to face,will be conlln'essed against each other and in this way will form afluid-tight joint between the parts. In the use of couplings of thischaracter, it is important that the gaskets be held firmly and tightlyseated in the heads, while at the same time they be capable ofconvenient application to or removal from thehcads; and to provide forthese conditions, f. form the head with an annular surface or ledgesurrounding the port, on which surface the gasket seated. and I providea clamping ring which is adapted to engage the gasket, the said.clamping ring being so mounted in the headthat. while it will beseparated from the annular gasket seat to permit the gasket to bereadily inserted, onto its seat from the inside of the head. the ringmay be forced down on the gasket. and in this way clamp the latterfirmly in place.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a face view of a coupling headformed in accordance with my inventirm, the clamping ring being removedtherefrom to expose other parts to view. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the gasket (-lal'nped by the ring to its scat. Fig. is atransverse section through the same, on the line m-.r of

Fig. 2. Fig. t is a plan view of a clamping ring ren'ioved. Fig. 5 is anedge view of the same.

Referring to the drawings. 1 represents one of the coupling heads of apipe coupling to which, by way of example, I have shown my inventionapplied. This head is shown as provided with a port 2 through the fluidpasses to a similar port in a coin plenientary head not here shown. Theport; 2 is surrounded by a gasket 3 in the form t scril'ied.

of a rubber ring having a base flange 3 and a longitudinally extendingportion 3". the said gasket being so mounted in the head that theportion 3 will project beyond the face of the same'so that, when the twoheads are coupled together face to face, the'projecting ends of thegaskets will meet and be compressed against each other, and in this waywill form a liquid-tight joint between the heads. It is important that.the gasket be confined tightly in the head in order to prevent theescape oi. fluid around the base otthe gasket. while at. the same timeit may bc.capable of quick and easy removal from and application to thehead; and to provide for these conditions, I form the head with aninwardly extending ledge 4 surrounding the port 2, on which ledge thebase flange of the gasket is adapted to be seated and tightly clamped bymeans of a clamping ring A more fully described later on. Adjoii'iingthe ledge et is a cylindrical surl'acc 5. and adjoining the surface 5and arranged in a plane parallel with the plane of the ledge 41, is anannular shoulder .6 by which the clamping ring is spaced from the gasketseat, as will be presently de- A flange 7 projects inwardly from theFace of the head and overhangs the shoulder 6. so that: a space 8 isleft between I the inner face of the flange and the face of theshoulder, this flange being cut away or notched at intervals, as at't),9 and 9. to the depth of the shoulder (5. The clamping ring A beforealluded to is shownmore particularly in Figs. 4- and 5,.ancl consists ofa body portion a, which is adapted to fitloosely within the inner edgeof the flange 7, and has a series of lugs, four in the present instance.a, 11 a, and a. projecting from the edge of the ring. which lugs areadapted to extend into the space 8 between the flange 7 and the shoulderG. the notches f), 9, etc, being of a length circumtercntially to permitof the passage therethrough of the lugs; whereby the ring may beassembled in operative position in the head with the lugs projectinginto the space 8. The outer faces of the lugs are cammed or beveled asat '10, which beveled surfaces are adapted to cooperate with the innerside of the flange 7 when the ring is turned to carry the lugs into thespace S, the result being that the ring will be forced down tightly andfirmly toward the gasket seat, and will compress and clamp the flange ofthe gasket against its seat and thus clamp the gasket firmly and tightlyin place.

In assembling the clamping ring in the head in operative position, thelugs on the ring are passed through the respective notches in the flange7 and the ring turned slightly forward in the direction of t is arrow inFig. 2, so as to carry the forward ends of the lugs beneath the portionsof the flange adjacent the several notches. A. pin or stop 11 is theninserted between the rear end of one of the lugs and the adjacent wallof the notch for that lug, the size of the pin being such that it willprevent the ring from being turned back far enough to permit the lugs topass outwardly through the notches, so that the ring is retainedin-place in the head and prevented. fromaccidental escape therefrom, thelugs, by resting on the shoulder 6, spacing the ring from the gasketseat a distance to permit thegasket to be freely and readily set inplace on theseat between the same and the inner face of the ring. As aresult of this construction and arrangement of the parts, the clampingring cannot fall inwardly on the gasket seat and offer an obstruction tothe insertion of the gasket; nor is it possible for the clamping ring toescape from the head or become lost, and inthis way cause the couplingto become inoperative. The pin or stop 11 is preferably made removable,so

' that the clamping ring may be detached from the head when it isdesired to do so.

In securing the gasket in place, the clamping ring is first moved to aposition where the end of the lug a will contact with the stop or pin11, in which position the ring is supported loosely some distance fromthe gasket seath-The gasket is then set on its seat between the same andthe inner face of the ring whereupon the latter is turned in thedirection of the arrow; in Fig.2. This action will cause the cammedfaces of the lugs to ,bear againstthe inner face of the flange 7, andwill force the ringbodily down on the base flange of the gasket, therebyclamping, the same firmly and fixedly to its seat. When the gasket is tobe removed, the ring/ is turnedjback to its former position,thug/releasing the flange of the gasket from cla upon the gasket may bereadily drawn out from the port in the head. i

The shoulder Gtwhich sustains the clamp ing ring spaced fin te thegasket seat, may be formed integral with the head, or it may be I pingpressure, whereconstructed as a separate. ring 6 and Sprung into placeon the gasket seat at its outer portion. In this form of the shoulder 6,the clamping ring will be given more latitude of clamping movementagainst the gasket.

In the accompanying drawings and foregoing description' I have set forthmy invention in the spccificform which I prefer to employ. It ismanifest to the skilled mechanic that various changes may be madetherein without departing from the limits of my invention, and it is tobe understood that the invention is notto be limited to any particularform or construction of the parts, except in so far as such limitationsare specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a coupling head provided with a port and asurrounding gasketseat, an annular shoulder surrounding the seat, aflange overhanging the shoulder and forming in connection therewith anannular recess, and a clamping ring provided with lugs projecting intothe recess and acting in connection with the annular shoulder to sustainthe ring spaced from the gasket seat, while admitting of a limited freeplay of the ring toward the seat to clamp the gasket, the said lugsbeing so formed that by a partial turn of the ring they will cotiperatewith the overhanging flange in taking up the play of the ring, and willforce the latter toward the gasket seat.

2. In combination with a. head provided with a port and surroundinggasket seat, and having an annular space'adjacent the seat, said spacehaving its outer wall notched, a clamping ring provided with a lugadapted to pass freely through the Iiotch and enter said space, the saidring being movable circumferentially to clamp or release the gasket, anda removable stop in position to be encountered by the lug and act- :ingto limit its circumferential movement

